Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving independent waste management, which will help address the nation’s waste issues.
Each day, 6-7 cubic meters of sorted waste are collected from the campus area and then independently processed at UGM’s Agrotechnology Innovation Center (PIAT UGM) in Berbah Village, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta.
UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia stated that waste management is not solely the government’s responsibility but also requires active participation from the academic community.
“There must be real actions, though changing behaviors is not easy. I suggest we need some sort of gimmick, perhaps an award for canteens or whatever initiatives the Waste Task Force could come up with to encourage UGM’s role in saving the planet,” said the rector during the declaration of waste management and reduction efforts to commemorate National Waste Awareness Day (HPSN) on Thursday (Feb. 20) at PIAT UGM.
The rector praised the PIAT UGM management team for directly promoting a waste management ecosystem from upstream to downstream within the university.
Besides PIAT UGM, she also acknowledged the efforts of Lokalogi, a student community that addresses waste management at various campus events, and the involvement of Community Service Program (KKN) students in tackling waste problems in local areas.
According to her, these academic activities on campus serve as an investment in sustainable environmental management for the future.
“UGM has declared its commitment to waste management, and I encourage all parties to collaborate in managing waste within the campus, in the Yogyakarta region, or across Indonesia,” she said.
The UGM Director of Community Service, Dr. Rustamadji, reported on various concrete actions UGM has taken as part of its internal waste management program.
These include structured waste sorting, processing organic waste into fertilizer, a waste bank program, utilizing digital applications to monitor and manage waste data, and using plastic shredders to support recycling efforts.
Additionally, UGM continues to promote awareness and education on responsible waste management.
Workshops and training sessions on waste sorting and processing have been held across faculties to raise awareness among the academic community.
“Currently, the backbone of waste management is still with the Directorate of Assets, which collects the waste before it is brought to PIAT UGM. Here, the waste is processed and transformed into economically valuable products,” explained Dr. Rustamadji.
Despite progress, UGM still faces challenges, such as a lack of awareness of waste sorting and limited infrastructure.
To address these issues, Dr. Rustamadji stated that UGM will intensify continuous education and outreach efforts while improving facilities through increased collaboration with external partners.
“Lastly, we will strengthen internal regulations and provide incentives for work units committed to waste management,” he emphasized.
Before the declaration of the ‘UGM Academic Community Collaboration for a Waste-Aware Campus,’ Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni Dr. Arie Sujito was asked to reaffirm the commitment of all attendees.
He reminded everyone that this declaration should not remain mere rhetoric without future initiatives for waste management, especially for lecturers who also serve as educators.
In his view, educators should teach theory and develop competencies in generating ideas that encourage students and society to adopt adaptive behaviors, such as consistently sorting and managing waste.
“Sorting should become part of our daily routine, and waste management at the source means we need to consider how we will handle the waste when producing something,” he emphasized.
Dr. Sujito then read the declaration, which all attendees followed. The declaration included commitments to reduce the use of single-use packaging, properly sort waste according to type, start waste processing at the source, and participate in waste management education efforts.
After the declaration, participants were invited to visit the Rumah Inovasi Daur Ulang (RINDU), UGM’s waste processing facility located at PIAT UGM. RINDU is a center for research, education, and community service in waste and waste management.
Through these initiatives, UGM is determined to become a role model for other universities in independent and sustainable waste management. The commemoration of National Waste Awareness Day 2025 marks a key moment for UGM to further strengthen its commitment to creating a clean, green, and sustainable campus environment.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Donnie